Medical Keywords - Everything you need to know about health.

Pain is a Necessity of Life (Part Two)

More and more of the many holistic therapies such as acupuncture are not just facets of the European healthcare system but are gradually becoming incorporated into the Western health system. Holistic therapies are traditional approaches to the relief of pain that were created by the Chinese and have been around fro approximately two to three thousand years. It is believed that Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has been around even longer, in the area of 5,000 years old. Traditional Chinese Medicine is based on more than one technique and makes use of herbal remedies to balance out the body's internal vital energy.

The Chinese believe in the concept of acupuncture through and through. Acupuncture is based on the concept that a person's health is based on how much chi (or vital life energy) is to be found in the human body. This positive life force or vital energy is able to traverse throughout the body by way of pathways that the Chinese refer to as meridians. Each of the meridians links up to particular organs in the human body. Qualified practitioners of acupuncture are known as acupuncturists and when it comes to their patients they insert thin stainless steel needles into spots on the body that bare connected to the meridians and channels in the body. The goal of acupuncture is to unblock the chi, as it is believed that blocked chi is the cause of pain in the human body.

The needles are inserted and left in for anywhere from a couple of minutes to 30 minutes or more. Acupuncture is a holistic form of treatment that is theorized to stimulate endorphins in the body, which are the body's form of natural painkillers. Acupuncture has been shown to successfully work well in the treatment of a number of disorders such as sinus pain, jaw pain, spinal problems, backaches with a number of different causes, and both withdrawal such as quitting smoking and mental and psychological disorders.

Herbal medicine is another important aspect of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Herbs have been used for many centuries, dating back thousands of years for their unique ability to help relieve pain. There are different herbs that are recommended for different health problems. For example for spasms and cramps reach for angelica, kava, rosemary, valerian root and cramp bar whereas if nerve pain is your problem then turn to chamomile, capsaicin, licorice, white willow and gotu kola. If you are plagued by back pain then turn to the herbs wood betony, passionflower or hops for relief. For headaches in general look to spearmint or peppermint whereas for migraine headaches in general turn to linden, skullcap or feverfew for help. If it is joint pain that is causing you problems then sea cucumber and ginger are what you need to help you through the rough spots.

Meditation is an ancient art that has been practiced for centuries and it is a conscious method of uncluttering everything that is in the mind and helping to rid the brain of stressful thoughts and anxiety that might either directly or directly be causing pain. There are many different methods of meditation but in general meditation is broken down into three distinct categories, which include concentrative, transcendental and mindful meditation.